Outlook The American University of Beirut
New Cafeteria Page 3
Vol. XLIII, No. 4
Freedom Club Page 5
| Tuesday, Oct 19, 2010 | The Independent Student Publication Since 1949
CNS Explains its Internet Distribution to Students Fouad Badaoui Staff Writer
Phot: Salim Batlouni
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n response to general student dissatisfaction concerning Internet performance at AUB for both academic and recreational usages, Outlook interviewed Rabih Itani, Assistant Director for Operations and Manager of Data Communication Services at The Computer and Networking Services (CNS). The topics of bandwidth allocation, censorship, security and privacy were addressed. However, this article will focus strictly on bandwidth issues, as the first of a two-part exposé. What is bandwidth? While time is measured in seconds, data is fundamentally measured in bits. Hence for bandwidth, which is a measure of the maximum
CNS helpdesk data transfer rate a certain channel can support, we use multiples of bits per second as a unit. One can imagine the channel as a pipe and the bandwidth as the maximum amount of water that
can pass through the pipe in a second. Naturally, increasing the bandwidth decreases the waiting time for a document to transfer making the surfing experience more fluid and more enjoyable. How-
ever, bandwidth can also refer to a quantity of data as in 2GB, which is the monthly bandwidth quota most AUB students are granted. Although important universities are Internet Service
Providers (ISP) themselves, AUB is not. “We don’t have the license,” said Itani, explaining that AUB uses three different ISPs in order to ensure a constant connectivity. The CNS considers the amount of bandwidth purchased by AUB confidential. Similarly, the budget allocated to this effect was not disclosed. Without providing an actual figure, Itani lamented the high cost of bandwidth in Lebanon and told us about a few policies a CNS counsel applies to manage this scarce resource. Among these policies, there is packet shaping. This practice consists of filtering traffic depending on content type and then giving priorities and limits to some of these types. For example, at AUB, file-
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October Special Employment Day
Opportunities Prevail for Lebanese and International Students Alike Mohamad Al Medawar Staff Writer
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INSIDE
n Monday, October 11, 2010, international AUB students gathered in West Hall Auditorium C at 4pm to grasp what could be the opportunity of a lifetime. Mark Haze, a representative from American University in Washington, D.C (AU), came to Lebanon in 2005, during which unfortunate events occurred, and had to leave with no results to speak of. This year, though, he comes bearing good news for students look-
Campus News Arts & Culture Out Loud
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ing to study at AU. The hall was filled with economics and business students, with some biology premeds, and a few psychology majors. Engineering students left early on after finding out that AU does not have an engineering department. AU, an independent private university, seems to be a center of attraction for international students. The university boasts over 12,000 active students on campus, including both the undergraduate and graduate programs, 60 percent of which are coming from abroad. The university
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offers 54 different subjects, including International Relations, Business Administration, Communication, Psychology, Biology, History, and Justice, Law and Society. What is more interesting is that international students taking part in this exchange program can take any class in any major and will have “wide access to courses,” said Haze, “but can only take 12 credits for a total tuition fee of $6,000 in comparison with $18,000 for U.S students.” He also explained that students attending this university enHonorary Scholarship Recipients
joy “exposure to a wide variety of amazing people,” such as President Obama, who gave an inauguration there recently. Another appealing notion is that over 80 percent of students at AU are taking part in internship programs, assisting participants by providing them with experience in their field of study, allowing them to easily acquire positions in prestigious firms. Moreover, Haze mentioned that Arabs in AU are equally dealt with. In fact, Arabic is the third most popular language to learn and speak at
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Bliss Street, West Hall 208 tel: 01 350 000 ext.3193
Band “shines”
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AU, following Spanish and French. Students are also encouraged to take part in community service and to get involved with extracurricular activities. As for living expenses and accommodations, the university provides dormitories with small-sized rooms and laundry services. However, the fee per semester is about $1,400, whereas off-campus, prices range between $700$1300 in a secure neighborhood with ample security.
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Oct 19, 2010
Is it Wrong or Illegal? Situating the Gaza Blockade When few words speak louder than actions
Khodor Abou Daya Staff Writer “Is it wrong or illegal?” asks Noura Erakat the adjunct professor of International Human Rights Law at Georgetown University, USA. On Monday, October 11 at 5pm in college hall Auditorium B, a round table discussion on the working paper of Professor Erakat started off. This discussion is part of a series of events that the Issam Fares Institute will hold this year. The aim of these events is to help the public understand the variables in global power and policies; in layman’s terms, it serves to make sense of what is going on in the region around us. Professor Erakat the scholar activist moves us closer to achieve those goals as she gives a more resolved picture of how Israel exploits the loop holes of the UN charter to justify their oppression of 1.6 million Palestinians in the Gaza sector. In specific, her working paper focuses on the blockade that is imposed by Israel and is neglected by
the UN Security Council. In summary, Article 51 of the UN charter states that a member of the United Nations under attack could take counter measures they see fit as long as the measures are seen as acts of self-defense. This setting requires the presence of two sovereign entities or states. In 2005, Israel acknowledged Gaza as a sovereign entity. In 2006 during and after operation “Cast Lead” thousands of Israeli troops flooded the Gaza strip in an attempt to stop missiles being fired into occupied Palestine (Israel). However, the sector was already under tight control by the Israeli Forces. This blatant fact inhibits Israel from waging war because it has already - in one way or another - occupied Gaza; you cannot wage war over an entity that you have already occupied - it is illogical not to mention illegal. In addition to the occupation, Israel has imposed a blockade on the Palestinians. The blockade mainly inhibits the import of many - if not all - vital supplies into the sector. The Geneva Convention
obliges an occupying force to maintain order in the occupied land and protect its citizens. Israel denies that it is an occupying force. However, as Erakat cleverly shows, whether Israel is an occupying force or not, the blockade it is imposing is illegal. So the problem is that Article 51 - among others - in its present state is subject to various misinterpretations. The Israelis believe that this space for misinterpretation is a permanently open gateway to change the legal system as claimed by their former head of the International Law Division. Hence, to put an end to the evasive tactics employed by the Israelis to legitimize the blockade, Erakat claims that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has to be mobilized. Ironically, the UNSC has made few resolutions regarding the Middle East the past years, 11 of which are related to the zero tolerance policy for sexual harassment and only two regarding the situation in Gaza. Unfortunately, the first resolution (1850) does not involve the
Gaza blockade - it is more of a condemnation to Hamas while the second (1860) merely mentions the blockade. Assistant Professor of Political Studies/International Law, Coralie Hindawi, criticized the working paper as being unoriginal. She states that many similar papers have been presented in many conflicts including the Arab-Israeli one. Also, she questions the emphasis on the UNSC. The UNSC has proved to be unreliable especially in the Arab world. Also, Beirut Director of Human Rights Watch, Nadim Houry argues that Israel, if established as an occupying force, would exploit the legal system to be able to arrest Palestinians and confiscate supplies as they are doing now. To Mr. Nadim the battle is over the public’s opinion not the UNSC’s. In response, Erakat says that her work is only a scholarly analysis. It serves to “isolate the variable from the obvious.” That being said, the professor confesses that she does not oppose an emphasis on states, but the main goal
of her paper is to end the controversies and black holes of the UN charter articles that have lead to the legitimization of the Israeli aggression and the elongation of the Palestinian humanitarian crisis. But away from all the technicalities and ambiguity of international law, what the major consensus in the audience was that there is a constant battle going on in the courtroom even when the canons outside rest. Most of the Arabs are not aware of this battle, mainly because it occurs behind closed doors and in small contained rooms. While Israel makes use of all its top lawyers to manipulate the UN charter, we gather our breaths for the next legitimized Israeli air strike. At the end, -in my opinionthe UNSC can not even condemn Israeli actions when its own charter speaks with Israeli lips that Israel is exercising its legal rights every time they kill Arabs and recently Turks.
AUB Welcomes New Students & Honors Scholarship Recipients Tala Kardas Staff Writer
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he President’s Reception is an annual tradition that welcomes all incoming students to AUB, and this year was no exception. It is considered the culmination of a long week of orientation, whereby new students are better acquainted with the university services, register their courses (if they had not done so during July), and enjoy a trip to Baalback and AUB’s own Agriculture Research and Education Center (AREC) in the
Beqaa Valley. This year’s reception was held on Thursday, September 30 on the Green Oval. New students were joined by administrative and faculty members, including former Dean of Student Affairs, Maroun Kiserwani, as well as current students who served as orientation guides during that week. After all the students had been seated, President Dorman welcomed the students, who represent 30 countries and 37 nationalities, to AUB hoping that their duration of study at
AUB would begin a life-long relationship with the university. Dorman then proceeded to announce the names of the 15 students that had received scholarships. As every year, Merit Scholarships are given to six Sophomores and four Freshman, and five Lebanese Baccalaureate scholarships are given to the highest ranking students in the abovementioned exams. The recipients will continue to receive the scholarship, provided that they maintain an 85 average throughout their study.
Daniela Ashoush (Grand Lycee Franco Libanais), Patrick Bou Samra, Ghadi Sebaali, Micheal Ibrahim Mouffarrij, Jad Younes (all from St. Joseph School, Kornet Shahwan), and Lea Fayad (International School, Koura) all received the Sophomore Merit Scholarships. Nadia El Gawarsha (Squalicum High School, USA), Rozana El Eid (ISC Al Ain, UAE), Maria Zabaneh (Kings’ Academy, Jordan) and Nadia Kassab (ISC, Dubai) were the recipients of the Freshmen Merit Scholarship.
As for the Lebanese Baccalaureate scholarships, they were awarded to Reem Abi Ammar and Omar Bou Fakhereddin (Amjad School), Hoda Jaffal (Al Mustapha High School) and Samer Chamata (Notre Dames Des Apotres). After cutting a cake to commemorate the occasion, the attendees enjoyed a grand buffet, followed by a dance party whereby old and new friends got a chance to mingle and enjoy themselves before beginning their journey at AUB.
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campus news
October Special Employment Days
Future Job Opportunities for Students - Interviews on the Spot! Yumna Ghandour Contributing Writer
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r. Maryam Ghandour paces the halls and offices of West Hall, answering questions, giving advice to students, leading company representatives, taking phone calls and giving orders, all at about the same time. With such fast paced gusto, the October Special Employment Days have begun. Headed by Dr. Ghandour, the career and placement specialist of AUB, Special Employment Days is taking place on campus with the aim of providing job opportunities for interested students. Business and financial firms from around the country participate by giving presentations in West Hall. Stands can also be found in the upper campus around West
Hall. Students are able to get acquainted with a wide variety of firms and what they are looking for in their employ-
going on until November 8. “There is so much demand from the firms in Lebanon to come to AUB and participate,
“I get so happy when the students know themselves, where they are heading. They come in concerned about finding jobs and we are able to provide them with options.” ees. They offer jobs in anything from accounting to consulting to auditing. Seniors especially, are then able to present their resumes for job vacancies with a chance of getting recruited. This event was to be taking place from October 11th to the 29th, but Dr.Ghandour found it necessary to keep it
we had to provide more days to be able to include them all,” she says. In fact, Special Employment Days used to happen annually, but now it takes place twice a year due to the high demand of firms as well participating students. With the deadline extended, the stands this year are fully
booked. Last year, over 75 firms took part in giving presentations and accepting recruitments. Some seniors who had applied in October got accepted and were able to secure a job before they had graduated. That is not to say that only seniors can take part. Some presentations are for the juniors of AUB, offering internships in physics, math, science and engineering. Credit Libanais is one of the first firms to set up a stand outside. They are looking for students who are studying economic business or finance. With the informal interviews they conduct, they also look for specific qualities. “The student needs to be motivated of course,” says Elie El Helon, one of the representatives of Credit Libanais. “They should also have some experience. If they don’t,
they should at least be ready to demonstrate strong working skills.” The October Special Employment Days is sure to be a success again this year. Dr. Ghandour seems to be very enthusiastic. “I get so happy when the students know themselves, when they know where they are heading. They come in concerned about finding jobs and we are able to provide them with options,” she concludes. With job opportunities broadened, the amounts of men and women in suits increases this month across AUB. For those interested and curious in what a future in these fields might look like, the stands and presentations are open to everyone. And some are offering chocolate bars.
Promising Cafeteria Has Bumpy Start Fouad Badaoui
Senior Staff Writer The Ada Dodge Hall cafeteria opened on Thursday Ocotber 14, for the first time in nearly a year and under new management. Many students had expressed frustration last academic year for not having a proper canteen on campus and a sit-in even took place. President Peter Dorman also sent an email to the AUB community expressing his concern over the absence of the social gathering area that the cafeteria represented. In the past academic year, students have been provided food from places the mobile kitchen near West Hall and the Charles Hostler cafeteria, although neither are considered to be complete cafeterias. The administration had sent several imail updates concern-
ing the selection process for a catering company and the renovations. Under the management of Faqra Catering Company, the new cafeteria presents a stark contrast to the previous one. “It’s like Walt Disney’s cafeteria” said one student upon walking into it for the first time. The decoration is indeed modern and colorful. Both floors can now accommodate more customers and the seating is, by most accounts, pleasant and comfortable. Couches lounge a ground floor wall. Yet the outside area behind the building is unchanged and barely sheltered from wind and sun. It is adorned with nothing more than plastic chairs and tables. The bathroom facilities have not been updated and, on Thursday and Friday, they were not maintained up to AUB standards.
In addition to the regular daily meals, the kitchen provides several separate areas specialized in different kinds of food. There is a diet food section as well as an Italian one that focuses on pasta and
But the problem lies with the service. “The service is awful” commented another student. In fact, most students seemed interested in trying out the separate stands that offered variety rather than settling
“Under the management of Faqra Catering Company, the new cafeteria presents a stark contrast to the previous one.” pizza. Others provide juices, coffee and ready-made sandwiches like those the mobile kitchen would offer. A Caribou café section will open next week and the cafeteria will close at 10 p.m. on weekdays. The food quality is acceptable according to the prices.
for a plat du jour. This resulted in a huge pressure on the pizza and burger stands, especially around 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Many students waited for 15 minutes and some even gave up and left as the inexperienced staff attempted to keep up with the overwhelming demands. It is un-
derstandable that a project of this size may take time to take off, but employees were stressed beyond functionality. A change in cafeteria staff is expected to take place soon. Provost Ahmad Dallal and President Dorman tried out the new facilities on Friday October 15 and Dorman agreed that a change in the shifts was needed. Dorman also described the new cafeteria as a “complete transformation.” All in all, students are satisfied with the presentation, accept the food quality and complain about the service
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“there should be more transparency in regards to the bandwidth budget” continued from page 1 sharing web site Rapidshare. com takes much longer to access than does Gmail.com. The decision regarding which web sites deserve priority over others and which are to be purposely slowed down is made at the discretion of the CNS counsel whose members are still unknown to us. That said, it is fair enough to assume that this strategy plays a major role in improving the students’ Internet experience as it does for a num-
ber of companies according to Ridha Chebbi, Network security expert. According to Itani, the bandwidth is shared evenly among users at any time, regardless of their location on campus. However, many students have challenged this statement and verification by Outlook has yet to be made. In order to save bandwidth, the CNS invites you to share your large downloads through http://share.aub. edu.lb/ to avoid a costly redownload by peers. Also, Microsoft Windows updates can be obtained from a local serv-
er instead of Microsoft’s mirrors overseas. Web page caching, which consists in saving data temporarily and feeding it to future users to avoid requesting from the original server again, is deployed on AUBnet and as Itani indicated “CNS is working on a solution to cache video in addition to other content.” CNS offers overnight FTP, a service that enables AUBnet users to request a large file download out of quotacharge. It is underused since no more than 280 requests have been filed between January and August 2010, and
it remains unclear who approves or disapproves those requests and based on what criteria. In the first week of classes, over a hundred residents from Penrose signed a petition expressing their malcontent with the quality of the Internet connection. The petition emphasized the fact that the connection was slower and worse after 7:00pm, making the quota-free hours from 8:00pm to 8:00am non exploitable for the dorm residents. The CNS shortly responded with an email survey. The latter, however, was
not thorough with only three of the seven questions pertaining to the connection. It is apparent that CNS has been implementing several strategies to improve the quality of the Internet and has been respondent to collective initiatives to the same end. Notwithstanding, students still believe there should be more transparency in regards to the bandwidth budget, the Internet policies and the structures and operations of CNS.
Lookout people! Soap Football Coming
your way next week!
“studying abroad could not get any easier!” continued from page 1 Applying to study in AU is performed online and requires a GPA of 3.0/4.0 (78/100). The application includes, apart from the resume and personal information, two essays concerning career goals and the applicants’ reasons behind choosing AU. A letter of recommendation is also required with the application. As for language, Haze explained that “passing both the English courses” ( Engl 203/204) at AUB is enough as a language proficiency standard. Finally, the deadline to apply for the fall semester is March 15, while the dead-
line for applying to the spring semester is October 1. In less than two weeks, a response for each application is submitted to applying students, and visas are handled by the university. On a separate occasion, though relevant, the Amideast Center, in collaboration with the ‘U.S. Educational Group’(USEG), organized the US University Fair in Movenpick, on Monday, October 11. Representatives from about 50 US universities attended the event including ‘Ohio State University,’ ‘Marshal University,’ ‘Indiana University,’ ‘Florida Institute of Technology,’
‘Mercer University,’ ‘State University of New York,’ ‘University of Iowa,’ ‘University of Miami,’ ‘University of Evansville,’ ‘University of Michigan-Flint,’ ‘University of Toledo,’ ‘University of South Carolina’, and many others. The ‘Educational Group’s Fall 2010 Fair’ is being held in cities throughout the Middle East, including Jeddah, Kuwait City, Manama, Doha, Dubai, Amman, and our very own Beirut. Its aim is to help “find the right higher educational program that you are interested in” because they believe that “international education offers opportu-
nities to acquire training, knowledge, and understanding which will enhance you, your country and the world,” as was mentioned in the fair’s guide. Both undergraduate and graduate programs are being offered to students covering all subjects and fields of study. Moreover, after interviewing volunteers and students at the fair, their opinions could all be summed up by the comments of volunteer Farah Shehadeh, who said that “studying abroad could not get any easier! The fair provides you with the immediate human assistance which still proves to be
a more efficient kind of help when you are starting your search from scratch.” Moreover, she was very grateful for the efforts of the representatives and explained that “the college representatives were very friendly and helpful. They provided the guests with fully clear information regarding majors, program, campus, services, entrance requirements, grants, and financial aid.”
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Oct 19 , 2010
Freedom Club Rocks Chocolate Club with Astonishing Turnout Joseph Saba Staff Writer
Photos by Joesph Saba
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he Freedom Club proved that no one can party harder than a Lebanese in hosting their “Fall Back” party at Chocolate Club in Sin El Fil on October 15. The club managed to sellout the tickets just two days before the party date. Freedom Club president Michel ElHaddad, fourth year mechanical engineering student, said that many people requested tickets after the sellout, and even some students called the Chocolate owner to try get in using “wasta”. “Tickets were being sold in the black market for $50 and that a Saudi guy was willing to pay 10 times the price of a normal ticket to let him and his 3 bodyguards in,” said ElHaddad. The party started around 10 p.m. with Mix FM’s DJ Ramz playing songs that are old as Montell Jordan’s “This is How We Do It” and as recent as Kevin Rudolf’s hit single “I Made It”. According to El-Haddad, by 12:30 a.m., 713 people entered the club. After that it was free to enter the party. “This was one of the biggest welcome parties not just in AUB, but even bigger than those of other universities found in Lebanon,” said ElHaddad. “The event was covered by the OTV’s well known “3ish Beirut”, Beiruting.com, and of course Outlook.” “It was very crowded and Chocolate was a hotbox,” said
Joseph Trak, biology sophomore. He also mentioned that he would “definitely do it again.” Emile Zankoul, second year Engineering, enjoyed his first party at Chocolate and said that despite the heat, he had a blast. The party ended around 3:00 AM. El-Haddad said that Freedom Club is definitely planning on having another party, though not sure if they would repeat at Chocolate. He thanked all of the peo-
ple who helped organize the event, including Freedom Club VP Michel Darcy and Elias Gharib, those who covered the event and everyone for attending one of the most successful parties so far hosted by an AUB club and making it a memorable one. The Freedom Club’s next event is “a surprise,” said Haddad. Everyone can be sure that the next party will be an even bigger success.
Today, I caught myself smiling for no reason... then I realized I was thinking about you. I miss your smile, barefoot Cinderella from Chocolate. If you know what I’m talking about, email me at: princecharmingaub@gmail.com
Freedom Club members dance all through the night
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Oct 19 , 2010
National General Assembly Takes LeMSIC to New Heights Wajiha Jurdi Kheir Senio Staff Writer The Lebanese Medical Students’ International Committee (LeMSIC) held its first annual National General Assembly (NGA) on the weekend of October 9. The two day meeting took place at Hotel Le Crillon in Broumana, and witnessed the culmination of the organization’s efforts over the past year. Around 100 AUB and USJ medical students participated to make this event a great success. LeMSIC is a member of the International Federations of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) and accordingly has six standing committees on Research Exchange (SCORE), Professional Exchange (SCOPE), Medical Education (SCOME), Public Health (SCOPH), Re-
productive Health and Aids (SCORA) and Human Rights and Peace (SCORP). Each of these standing committees is responsible for organizing many events, and members made a jump start on preparations for these events in Standing Committee (SC) sessions at the NGA. The NGA did not only comprise of SC sessions, but also included project presentations, an IFMSA presentation, official IFMSA trainings and workshops, and theme events. Day one began with registration and a coffee break, followed by a Newcomers’ session during which LeMSIC President (2009/2010) Dr. Caline Mattar introduced new members to LeMSIC SCs and executive board. Next, the six SC sessions ran simultaneously till lunch time. Meal times in general, as well
as the coffee breaks, satisfied all tastes; Le Crillon offered participants the finest either in the garden courtyard or in a hall with a view of the Lebanese Mountains. After lunch, trainings on Leadership Development, Contacting Externals and Fundraising, and Project Management as well as workshops on time management and motivation and well-being were offered. According to Med III Student and LeMSIC National Training Support Division Director Katia Khoury, “Trainings are essential for the members’ personal development and better enable them to support a growing organization. As we trainers say: ‘trainings are the backbone of LeMSIC.’” As per the NGA’s theme of “Healthy Doctors,” participants had the choice of picking one of four events: Yoga,
Physical Health, Nutritional Health and Theater Skills. These were concurrently beneficial and entertaining to all, and they will undoubtedly have lasting effects on Medical Student lifestyles. One of the major highlights of the NGA was the Social Program which took place on Saturday night. It was a color party; members had to wear the color of their SCs. In addition, each SC had to prepare a stand with special food, drinks and games. Angels, gypsies, pirates, hippies, and even Scotsmen ran amok, dancing and greatly enjoying each others’ company. Despite a late evening, breakfast was served early Sunday morning, followed directly by another round of SC sessions. The afternoon was jam-packed with project presentations and the continua-
tion of trainings. Lastly, the NGA saw the handover to the new LeMSIC Executive Board. LeMSIC President (2010/2011) Sara Hassan was very happy with the outcomes of the NGA, “I am personally extremely proud to be part of the Organizing Committee that did a fantastic job in organizing an assembly of this caliber. It has definitely taken LeMSIC to new heights!” Feedback from participants was also positive. “It was the first attempt for Medical Students to boget her and it was a blasting success,” said Med II student Nicolas Khattar. With the NGA finally realized, LeMSIC can add another notch in its belt of accomplishments.
…and Cut! The Curtains Close at the Beirut International Film Festival Caterina Belardi Staff Writer
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“Inshallah, more women should take the lead, I find it promising!” ued with the projection of “I am Love” by Luca Guadagnino, introduced to the audience by a vibrant and glowing Colette Naufal, director of the BIFF. The movie portrayed the director’s ability to
merge culinary and cinematographic art, staging the story of the Recchia upper-class, Italian family. The intense film focused on the dynamics of the family dealing with transitions; the selling of the family business, a daughter discovering her homosexuality and a mother, enacted by a brilliant Tilda Swinton, engaging into an enflamed love affair. This panorama of stories, linked by the beauty of food, is portrayed through soft and refined images making us appreciate the detail and art of every scene. As the curtains close on this spectacular festival, what is it that made it as special? Naufal states, “This year’s event was bigger! We want to expose Lebanon to movies of the world, of different cultures; we like it, we bring it! And I have noticed with time that people have become more appreciative of this art”. She continues explaining how “this year’s novelties are a wider range of international directors being presented,
as well as a the new culinary movie category, which gave the festival a tasteful twist!”. A strong mark of women directors was also highly appreciated, as Kamel hopes, “Inshallah, more women should take the lead, I find it promising!” A final important message for Lebanon, was shared by Degaulle Eid, winner of the Jury Special Prize for Feature Film with “Chou Sar?” a feature retracing the tough
memories of the director unveiling the mysteries around the murder of his entire family during the Civil War. An emotional Eid speaks out “we have to talk to each other, and watch this movie all together, for our sake, we, the ‘chaab lebnani’”…and on such a powerful note, who’s looking forward to next year’s edition? I am, definitely!
Courtesy of Beirut International Film Festival
he closing ceremony of BIFF’s 10th edition was held Wednesday, October 13, as a glamorous evening took place at the UNESCO palace in Beirut. The festival, which had proudly opened its curtains with Sofia Coppola’s “Somewhere” in these same premises, closed the week-long event, gloriously! As the guests waltzed into the screening room, the famous actor Elie Mitri hosted the award assignation, with “a fun spirit and theatrical twist” as Christine Youakim, assistant ceremony director, explains. Three categories of awards were presented: Best Feature Film, Best Short Film, both subdivided into further categories, and the Audience Vote. The members of the jury, Robert Daudelin, Arsinee Khanjian and Kalki Koechlin awarded Ahd Kamel with the Gold Aleph for Best Short Film for
“The Shoemaker,” Shawkat Amin Korki for Best Feature Film for “Kick-off” and other six directors in their respective categories. The audience, on its end contributed to “the long respected tradition” as Alice Edde, awardpresenter explains, by honoring Juan Jose Campanella with the Audience Vote for “El Secreto de sos ojos.” The evening further contin-
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The band “shines” at Hard Rock
Heather Jaber News Executive
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ty people, the energy comes through. “We do a lot of interaction on stage...the more people we have the more fun we have,” says Kelly. The other singer, Alan J Roberts, is easily the most enthusiastic part of the band. His style, comprised of shutter shades and a sideways hat, paired with his dance moves, create an excitement which is contagious to both the band members and the crowd. The highlight of last Thursday’s event came when the band performed Guns and Roses’ “Sweet Child of Mine.” Kelly’s voice, accompanied by Roberts, combined with Dan Talbot on keys, Holli Coupland on drums, bassist Ben Harris, and Rudy Rangel as lead guitarist, soared to new heights, especially when it came to the song’s close. Rangel’s solo drew much attention, causing audience members to stop what they were doing and stare. Perhaps the height of the night’s excitement came when Kelly and Roberts hopped around next to Rangel, clapping and swaying to the guitar solo, showing that their chemistry comes as naturally as their love for music. The interaction between the members of the band and the audience seems to be a key piece of their success. Kelly spoke of the crowd in Lebanon specifically, saying that “so far the crowd here has been the crowd that...you can just have so much fun with... Lebanon is just...this awesome place.” All night, the band took requests from fans, walking through the audience, getting the crowd involved. “We’re here...to have fun,” said Kelly of the band, “there are no rules here.” Shine currently plays at Hard Rock Cafe six nights a week, not including Fridays, and will be in Lebanon until at least November 15th before moving on to perform the grand opening of Hard Rock in Dubai. This month, the band wears pink ribbons
Courtesy of Hard Rock Cafe
urrently playing at the Hard Rock Cafe is Shine, an aptly named band considering the sheer amount of energy they both contain and invoke in listeners. The band travels internationally, playing in countries like South Korea, China, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Canada, USA, India, Indonesia, the UK, and, of course, Lebanon. Shine is primarily a cover band; its members all have side projects, but enjoy performing classics from artists like Pink Floyd, Sean Kingston, Black Eyed Peas, Evanescence, and ACDC. Their name comes from a Vanessa Amorosi song, which band leader, lead singer, and Australian native, Claire Kelly, says can refer to “sunshine or moonshine. It’s energy.” The members come from a variety of places, including Australia, the UK, Canada, and even Las Vegas. Though from all across the globe, the band has a connection that compels them to do everything together. Kelly describes the dynamic of the band as a group of “positive, wonderful people.” Essentially, they are their own family members, spending most of their time together. “We go for the people first. We live together, we eat together, we don’t sleep together,” Kelly said, laughing. “We do everything together; we would literally jump out of a plane together.” The members have all had their own projects prior to forming Shine, which was formed in 2004, though with different members. Ben Harris, for example, is the bassist of Absolace, a progressive metal band from Dubai. They also have different tastes, ranging from hip-hop to classic rock to Fayrouz, and everything in between. Due to this diversity, the group has formed a unique mix of characters, with evident chemistry. Whether playing for a full house or a room of twen-
Shine” concert poster“ on their clothing for Pinktober, in support of breast cancer awareness, which helps to raise money for charities such as May Jallad. The band will also be doing an interview with Radio One in the upcoming week. Kelly epitomizes the “shine” of the group. Her ambition is apparent, as she sings in not only English, but German, French, Chinese, and Korean. Of Arabic, she confidently
states, “I’m gonna learn.” She also plays percussion, keys, violin, and bass guitar. When praised for her soulful sound, she responded that her belief in always improving herself is what pushes her forward. “I don’t think I have a good voice. I think that its something that you keep on learning...like anything that you love doing, you want to constantly improve at it. Until I die I will never think I have
a good voice. Once you say, ‘well, i’m good at that,’ well then, you might as well give up.”
8
Outlook
out loud
Oct 19 , 2010
“What were your first impressions of your first couple weeks at AUB?” All Photos by Mohamad Alameh
Outloud is brought to you by Outlook Staff Writers Edrees Elrachidi and Emile Zankoul, giving you the rare opportunity of conveying your opinons relating to current events or circumstanes taking place at AUB. Want to be heard? Find any one of us on campus and give us your thoughts about what’s going on and your picture & feedback just might be
“It’s a new world full of surprises, a mix between fun and work. It’s 180 degrees different from school” (Mahmoud Mardini, Freshman).
““The 1st week was really bad, it felt like a year, but the 2nd one was amazing because I found my way around and met everyone” (Rhea Moufarrej, Business Sophomore).
incoproated into our upcoming issue!
“I’m having fun; I met a lot of cool people. Now we hang out at west” (Dima Abi Fakhr, Freshman).
“I liked the community; there are a lot of societies you can join. They promote intra-cultural activities, diversity etc. I liked some teachers, I liked the campus, how there are a lot of things such as the gym, the pool, the tennis courts and the Greenfield.” (Nerces Arslanian, Freshman).
Oct 19, 2010
Outlook
9
Out of the box
The Outlook team Chairperson
Maroun Kisrwani
Faculty Advisor
Cleo Cacoulidis
Responsible Director
Antonios Francis
Editor-in-Chief
Rami Diab
Associate Editor
Timmy Malkoun
Editor at Large
Yahia Hamade
Arabic Editor
Mariam El Ali
Photography Editor
Salim Batlouni
Layout Director
John Hajjar
Layout Editor
Joelle Haddad
Member at Large
Giovanny Reaidi
News Executives
Heather Jaber Lojine Kamel Mostafa Fadlallah
Web Master
Mohamad Al Medawar
Business Managers
Sally Khalifeh Lara Traboulsi
Senior Staff Writers
Fouad Badaoui Yasmin Fansa Maryam Hoballah Tala Kardas
Staff Writers
Sarah Al Dirani Mohamad Al Medawar Caterina Belardi Edrees Elrachidi Lynn Itani Sherif Maktabi Rita Obeid Yasmine Saab Joseph Saba Amer Sare Maya Sfeir Lara Traboulsi Emile Zankoul
Contributing Writers
Nader Al Ahmadieh Marwan Ali Jaafar Samer Bu Jawdeh Wajiha Jurdi-Kheir Ilijia Trojanovic’
Photographers
Mohamad Alameh Tariq Buhilaigah Dima Hajj
Cartoonist
Deedee El Jilani
Psyched Out
Rita Obeid
Empty Nest Syndrome
Most of the readers of this newspaper, if not all, are independent adults who are currently students at AUB, and some number of these students live in apartments away from their families. If not now, they will soon enough be living independently if they seek a job abroad or when they get married, eventually. During this period, most parents experience what is known as the Empty Nest Syndrome (ENS). This refers to feelings of sadness and grief experienced by parents after their children reach a certain age and move out of the house (to go to college or to get married). Women are more likely to be affected by such a syndrome than men. Usually, when children leave home, mothers are going through other critical life events, such as menopause, or caring for their elderly parents. However, this does not mean that fathers do not experience ENS. Feelings of sadness are normal at this time. It is also important to note that more mothers work these days, leading to less feelings of emptiness and loneliness when their children leave home. Moreover, recent research shows that the relationship between parent and child can have important consequences for both parties at that time. When the relationship is secure, parents can psychologically benefit from the empty nest and maintain healthy relations with their children. Insecure, hostile, and detached parent-child relations may reduce support between the parent and child when such support is mostly needed. Importantly, it might be helpful to seek treatment when this departure leads to overwhelming sadness. Counseling and therapy may be helpful to keep one’s feelings in perspective. One’s support system, such as friends, might be very helpful. In addition, the time and energy formerly spent on taking care of children can be directed towards different areas such as engaging in hobbies, sports and even career pursuits. Some experts suggest that one should begin preparing for the empty nest while the children are still living in the house. This can be achieved by accomplishing one’s goals, engaging in hobbies and even making plans with the whole family. Reference: Empty Nest Syndrome. (2009). In Psychology Today online. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/conditions/child-neglect
Food for Thought
Rami Diab
A Fruit-ful life
Would you believe me if I told you that mankind has been a strict and instinctive fruit eater for millions of years? In fact, weapons, artefacts, and stone tools have given us reason to believe that the prehistoric man has existed some two million years ago, and ever since before then and up until the onset of his rather recent meat-eating crescendo, the primitive human being has depended on food gathering, not hunting. In essence, this could lead us to conclude that we are evolutionary related to fruit and well, if we look at the physiology of fruit and fruit digestion our hypothesis is confirmed. Here’s why: • “...all the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, amino acids, and fatty acids that the human body requires for its existence are to be found in fruit” says Harvey Diamond, author of Americas best selling dieting and wellness book “Fit for Life.” • Fruit is also the simplest and fastest food digested by the human body. Any wonder why fruits need an average of half an hour before leaving our stomachs as compared to other food products such as dairy and meat which can take up to eight times that amount of time (up to 4 hours)?! • Fruits are picked nearly completely self-digested as they ripe, offering us their nutritious content with minimal digestion. If we couple the energy spared from unnecessary detoxification as a result of consuming other complex foods with the insuperably high water content in fruit (between 80% and 90%) we find the vital energy and water capacity needed to cleanse our systems and keep us healthy, thereby aiding in natural hygiene and weight loss. Let’s face it, the energy benefits (mainly in the form of fructose) and nutrients reaped from consuming fresh fruit, are far more enduring than those of other food products. You can count on it, so long as fruit is properly consumed, on an empty stomach, living health with absolutely no deprivation can be ours!
Oct 19 , 2010
10
Outlook
opinion
املقامة البيروتية
عامر الصريع كاتب صحفي
الهزَبْر األسدي حدثنا ليث ّ بن ِ بيروت ،قبل أن قال :زرت مر ًة مي ّر قطارُ العمر ويفوت .فلله د ّرها ما أجملها .هي مدين ٌة كثيرة اخليرات ،جليلة النعمات، حلوة الذكريات .رجالها فطنة، ونساؤها فتنة .بيروت من
أعظم األماكن في دار الفناء، فالناس ال تزورها اّإل بعد انتقاء، وال يُشاد بها اّإل أعظم البناء. جتد فيها إقراء الضيف ،والضرب بالسيف ،والسياحة بالصيف. ّ الكل فيها مشغول ،يروم إلى احللول ،ليصلح األوضاع ،ويبني وأشد القالع .فأعداؤها ال ترحم، ّ من أجرم ،تبعث باجلنود ،لتُسقط احلدود ،تنأى عن السجود ،ومتيل إلى القدود .بعد أن قطعت عهدي ،بتجوال ّ كل املمت ِّد ،القيت فشد على عضدي، أبا العب ِد، ّ وقال خذ الذي عندي ،في وصف قوم جدي .فقال :شارعنا املنارة، وشعارنا احلضارة ،ومركوبنا السيارة ،ومسلسلنا باب احلارة. هوايتنا الصيد ،وكسر القيد والدفاع عن احليض .أعمالنا أما جيوبنا زاهرة ،وغاللنا وافرةّ ، فقافرة ،ومصاريفنا كافرة .لكن عيشنا راضي ،وبالنا فاضي، ماض .نحن عاصمة زماننا ِ الكتاب ،نزخر بالكتّاب من أخذة األلباب .نحن مدينة السهر، على ضوء القمر ،ن ُذهب الضجر،
في السلم أو اخلطر ،بالفقر أو البطر .نحن ملتقى األديانّ ، وكل ما خطر في اجلنان .ثم قطع حديثه قائالً :لقد فاتنا األوان، وبدأ األذان ،وأنا واهلل جلوعان، هلم إلى الدار ،لنمأل األقدار، ونكمل األخبار .وبعد بزوغ الفجرِ، يوم من العمرِ. وانتقاص ٍ بيروت الوادعة، ذهبنا إلى قلب وقال لي هذي هي اجلامعة ،التي للفوائد جامعة ،ولغدرات الزمان مانعة ،فاجلامعة األميركية في بيروت ليست مقتصر ًة على إعطاء الشهادات ،بل معني ٌة ببناء الثقافات وإمناء احلضارات، اّ طلبها من النجباء ،ومد ّرسوها من العقالء .واحة في واحة، القطط فيها مرتاحة ،تبسط ّ لكل تهب اجلناح، حتت الظالل َ ّ ضن كرمي ٍة جحجاحة ،لتثلج ُح ٍ اجلراح ،أو القلوب وتشفي َ تباغت الفتيات وتبدأ املناحة. لطالب قريب ،شكله فتوجهت ٍ جنيب ،كتابه رهيب ،لكن محياه عجيب ،فسألت ُه مابك ياحبيب؟ فقال :إن أمري عجيب ،وعقلي
مريب ،نهاري لهيب ،وليلي كريب ،إمتحاني قريب ،ووقتي عصيب ،أمتنى لو أغيب .فقلت له :على رسلك ،فإنّك احلديد تذيب ،وذلك النصيب ،الذي ال يخيب ،لكن في النهاية ال بد من مثيب ،فقال :يا ليتني أجيب، ما فادني احلبيب ،وال ّ كل منيب، فاسمح يا لبيب .أنا من كلية الهندسة ،لكني لن أتخرج حتى أصاب بالهلوسة ،فالضرب على الرأس بالقدوم ،أخر لي من تلقي العلوم .فضاقت بي البالد، والقسط بازدياد ،وازدهر عمل اجلالد .فقلت له :أجدت واهلل قوالً ،زدني ازداد عمرك حوال ً. فقال :اتركني أكمل درسي، كي أمتكن من حصد غرسي، وبعدها أنت مدعو لعرسي ،أو للصالة على رمسي .فتركته وجبت اآلفاق ،ألشهد العشاق، فتى من كأس فلفت انتباهي ً احلب ذاق ،يشكي لي همه بعد أن غدر به الزمان وضاق ،فقال: لساني للشعر ناطقُ ،وقلبي في الهوى حالقُ ،ضاقت بي املفار ُق،
وحبيبتي قلبي إليها لشائقُ ، نهاري بدونها عابقُ ،ودمع العني لفرقاها دافقُ ،ما بيننا قل التناطقُ ،بعد أن أمست قلوبنا لواصقُ ،في عينها اجلما ُل بارق، بإغماضها ينقلب دهري غاسقُ ، لهيب حار ُق ،له في صوتها ٌ قلوب خوافقُ ،واحمليا في احلشى ٌ احلسن غار ُق ،والريق منها حلو املذائقُ ،ول ّبي في هواها عالقُ ، إلى أن حلت علينا البوائقُ ،من بعد ما حامت فوقنا النواعقُ ، الكاذب والصاد ُق ،لم واختلط ُ أعد أدري من هو املنافقُ ،فهل ض ترى ما أنا ذائقُ ؟ فقلت له ال ُف ّ كمل يرحم أبوك .فأنشأ فوكّ ، يقول: ً لقلوب بها ا سحق أال ٍ نهوى الذي ماكان يهوانا ويهوانا الذي نظن أنه في قلبنا لن يلقى إال الهوا َن نب احلب متع ًة فلن ال حتس ّ يُزهر اّإل إن آن اآلوان
قصة حقيقية) سعيد ّ يتحدى امللل (مستوحاة من ّ خضر أبودية كاتب صحفي
سعيد طالب خلوق ،ال يتدخل في شؤون أحد ،ينجز ما يترتب عليه من واجبات جامعية ،ومن ثم يعود إلى املنزل. ّ أحب سعيد في يوم من األيامّ ، أن يقلب حياته رأسا ً على عقب. ّ فكر سعيد جيدا ً ولوقت طويل، ٍ فليس من السهل لرجل عادي طبيعي أن يشغل نفسه عن الدراسة ويتعب نفسه عقليا ً وجسديا ً من دون أن يعاتبه أولياء أمره أو يؤنبه املسؤولون عنه.
ّ ظل سعيد يفكر إلى أن وضع خططه جانبا ً لع ّله يحققها عند املستطاع وانتظر... إنّها اآلن السنة األخيرة من حياة سعيد اجلامعية .سيتخ ّرج سعيد إن شاء اهلل .لكن ما يف ّرق سعيد عن معظم الطلبة أنّه سعى للحصول على تخصص فرعيّ .1 كل ما يحول بينه وبني التخصص الفرعي هو مساق2 واحد .حان وقت التسجيل، ووجد سعيد ّ احلل ملعضلته التي
طواها سابقا ً! سيحاول سعيد أن يثق بترتيبات إدارة التسجيل التي سمحت للطالب بحجز موقع في الئحة اإلنتظار عبر اإلنترنت .يتم بعد ذلك زيادة سعة 3الصف .علما ً بأ ّن على من يأخذ هذا املسلك للوصول إلى ما يبتغيه من مواد أن ميأل طلب ويأخذ تواقيع املعنيني؛ وهذا ما فعله سعيد طوال ثالثة أيام منذ بدء وقت التسجيل. يأتي اليوم الرابع حني يذهب
صديقنا إلى مكتب التسجيل يقدم الطلب .يقول له لكي ّ املسؤول بتر ّدد“ :آه ،لقد ألغينا حجزك ”.ير ّد سعيد بتعاسة: احملدد “لكن لم ينت ِه الوقت ّ إلمتام عملية تقدمي الطلب”. يدور احلديث املط ّول املعروف واحملفوظ في القلوب قرب ّ كل مشاعر الكره واحلقد والتدمير الذاتي .لكن مهالً! هناك فسحة أمل فطبعا ً في عاملنا الشا ّذ عن القواعد اإلجتماعية
واإلدارية يقوم املسؤول بإرساله إلى مكتب فالن ...ويقوم فالن بإرساله إلى عالن .يذهب سعيد إلى الشمال ليعود إلى اجلنوب، يعود أدراجه غربا ً فيرسل شرقاً، يصعد سعيد الدرج وينزل إلى أن تصعد روحه إلى السماء وال تنزل ...فإنّا هلل وإنّا إليه لراجعون. ويبقى سعيد ح ّيا ً فينا...
Oct 19 , 2010
Outlook
11
Editorial and opinion Depend on Life to Always Surprise You
Lara Traboulsi Contributing Writer
S
ometimes we limit ourselves. It might be out of fear but we still do it, whether consciously or not. I will admit I’m one of those people. I sometimes have a hard time stepping out of my comfort zone and trying out new things. I make plans and get excited and then those plans sort of fade away or simply lay in the back of my closet gathering dust. Last weekend was my 21st birthday party. Thankfully I had no hand in planning it. If I did I think I would have been too fearful to do half of what I did. Fortunately I have someone amaz-
ing who took over the wheel and planned my three day escapade down to the last detail. First day I attended a wild bachelorette party that was followed by my kickass birthday party that lasted later than I would have expected. I simply let loose and truly enjoyed myself for the first time in a long time. Second day was a calmer day which started with a peaceful breakfast and ended with an exquisite poolside wedding. The third day was supposed to be my major birthday present - which I will get to later - but it was postponed. Not hazed by the minor inconvenience, we went to plan B that was concocted on the spot. I was taken up to the Faraya empty parking lot and I was told to drive. See I have a fear of driving and have logged in a pitiful number of hours behind the wheel. When I was told to get into the driver’s seat and drive, I was still a bit anxious. After about an hour of driving calmly I was told to step down on the gas and go as fast as possible. Having worked up the nerve I did as I was told…
and it was exhilarating! I simply didn’t want to stop. I of course limited it to the empty parking lot but it was still invigorating all the same. It’s something I would have never thought I would have done. My birthday present that was postponed was scuba diving. How cool is that? This is again something I always wished I had the courage to do but never thought I would. In two days time I’m going to be wrapped around in scuba gear, armed with an underwater camera and ready to explore the vast blue sea with all the wonders it offers. What I want to say is try not to limit yourself. When you make plans make them with the intent of seeing them through. It doesn’t necessarily have to be now or in the near future. Just let it be someday. What is remarkable about life is that it constantly surprises you. You end up doing the unexpected. If you would have told me that I would be where I am today I would not have believed you. You are young so don’t be afraid to be adventurous!
This Could Pass as a Graduation Op-Ed
Tala Kardas Staff Writer
I
’ve overnighted on projects, studied at Jafet, and taken some very interesting classes. I made friends with people I never see any-
more, took advice from random strangers, and dispensed it on others. I had trouble with registration, waited for my grades to come out on AUBsis, and avoided plagiarism like the plague. I learned to use a photocopier, load a printer, and work in a fully-equipped chemistry lab without blowing anything up. I tried all the restaurants along Bliss, drank coffee in class, and anxiously waited for the cafeteria’s reopening. All this in a mere two years. It may sound like I’m writing my graduation Op-Ed a bit too early. Actually, that’s not my point. Since starting this year, I’ve been thinking of how I came to AUB, expecting to graduate with a BS and several good memories.
I’ve come to the realization that, come June, I’ll be graduating. Every single experience I stated above has happened or will happen to each and every student here, and that’s what I find so special about this university. Despite the different majors, classes, and backgrounds. Truth be told, this year is just beginning and there will be many more opportunities. It’s the time to pass on the legacy to the younger classes to experience the hilarity, confusion, anxiousness, all associated with AUB.
“Connecting the Academy”
Rami Diab Editor-in-Chief “No other extracurricular activity on campus is better for you career – no matter what that is – than the newspaper,” spoke past Adviser of Florida Atlantic University Press Michael Koretzky. Working at a newspaper isn’t at all what it’s cut out to be – it’s more, far more. Where else do you get the rare opportunity of being put to the test, week after week and of having your patience trialed and tried time and again? Time management, communication effectiveness, and of course, improvisation are major areas of growth and development when it comes to the university newspaper. Not only that, but your conscious will always have a safety net to fall back on. The next time you catch yourself lost for words before AUBsis, unable to explain your final course grade, at least the hours you would have spent slaving away writing, editing, or simply fine pruning layout, will stand, set in stone, as testimony to your hard-earned labor. Way to leave your marks on AUB, huh? University is a package deal. There is so much we pay for and yet what we get out of it is only that which we reach out and grab; and believe me, this is one opportunity you do not want to miss. Do you know what our most pressing mission as a newspaper is? It is that of “Connecting the Academy,” as President
Peter Dorman mentioned at the Opening Ceremony some two weeks back, for how is a university newspaper without an active student body of all races, colors, and creeds any more useful than a ship without a crew or a military force without an army? Indeed, this newspaper is as much mine as it is yours. The best place to advertise your accomplishments, broadcast your ideas, and establishes a name for yourselves is, yes, you guessed it, your university newspaper. Business managers have the opportunity to make thousands of dollars in profit each year securing them a respectable position in the financial world. Editors have the opportunity of familiarizing themselves with the most common of writing mistakes, instantly transforming them into a new elite of writers. Layout editors have the opportunity of getting more accustomed to learning the tricks of the trade of putting together a publication from scratch. Last but not least, staff writers will forge new relations, enhance their communication skills, and boost their writing effectiveness. Provided your busy schedules merits you the time to participate, don’t think twice - be a part of it! The pros will always be there to outweigh the cons that you can rely on.